[The Epoch Times, January 07, 2023](Epoch Times reporter Li Yan comprehensive report) “That’s an attack plane, Dad.” David Tellez (David Tellez) young children said, they took The Aeromexico airliner was about to take off when, suddenly, a military plane landed on the runway next to them.
Then gunfire rang out.
“As we accelerated to take off, we heard gunfire very close to the plane and we all fell to the ground,” Tellez told Reuters. Earlier in the day, violence erupted in the northern Mexican city of Culiacan.
A video circulated on social media showed passengers curled up or lying on their stomachs in the aisle to avoid being targeted by gunfire. In the chaos, a child was crying.
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Mexican authorities dispatched security forces to capture drug lord Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, nicknamed El Chapo, on Thursday (January 5) ahead of U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit next week. son of Ovidio.
Ovidio is accused of leading a faction of his father’s Sinaloa Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel is one of the most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. The arrest sparked retaliation from the drug cartels. They set up roadblocks, set fire to vehicles and attacked a local airport.
Tellez, 42, traveled with his wife and their three children, aged seven, four and one, on Thursday.
The BBC reported that two planes were hit by bullets. One of the planes was the flight AM165 that the family of four took. The Aeromexico flight was preparing to take off when the incident occurred.
Aeromexico said no one was injured on the flight Thalez was on. Culiacan airport closed shortly after. Security forces patrolled the streets, trying to contain the violent backlash.
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Tellez told Reuters he had planned to take the 8:24 a.m. flight. He made it to the airport despite roadblocks set up by drug gangs following the shootout. At the time, Ovidio’s arrest had not been confirmed. The atmosphere at the airport was tense, with security staff urging travelers to check in quickly.
Later, they heard that gang members were at the airport. So, Telez and his family hid in the airport bathroom. However, it was later confirmed that this was a rumor, and Aeromexico passengers were soon on board.
However, just as their AM165 flight was about to take off and headed to Mexico City, several military planes landed on the airport runway one after another. Then gunshots sounded in the distance.
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A flight attendant said the engine of flight AM165 was hit, causing a leak. The crew directed the passengers to disembark and transfer them to a windowless waiting room at the airport.
The Trez family is scheduled to board another flight on Friday. Until then, they will stay where they are.
“We’d rather stay at the airport until it’s safe to leave.” He said the situation in the city was even worse. There was constant gunfire, and it was chaotic.
More than a hundred flights at three airports in Sinaloa were canceled that day.
The state’s governor said earlier that 18 people had been taken to hospital.
Big drug lord father and son arrested
Mayor Ruben Rocha Moya confirmed earlier on Twitter that the federal armed forces had been operating in Culiacán since dawn on Thursday. He urged residents to stay at home.
Firefights between security forces and gang members continued into Thursday afternoon, reports said.
The local government agency that oversees education said schools across Sinaloa state were closed on Friday.
According to a 2018 federal indictment in Washington, D.C., Ovidio is accused of conspiring to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine (meth) and marijuana in the United States.
He and his brother currently oversee about 11 methamphetamine laboratories in Sinaloa state, producing an estimated 1,300 to 2,200 kilograms (3,000 to 5,000 pounds) of the drug each month, the State Department said.
They also say information shows that Ovidio ordered the murders of informants, a drug dealer and a Mexican pop singer who refused to sing at his wedding.
The United States had offered a $5 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of Ovidio.
It is uncertain whether Ovidio will be extradited to the United States like his father. “Short” Guzman was found guilty of drug trafficking and money laundering in 2019 and is currently serving a life sentence in Supermax, Colorado. This is the most secure federal prison in America.
Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said any extradition would have to follow a formal process and would not be immediate.
Next week, there will be a summit of North American leaders in Mexico City. At that time, U.S. President Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau will both visit Mexico, and drug trafficking is expected to be on the agenda.
Biden will arrive in Mexico on Sunday, a day earlier than previously expected, according to a tweet from Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard. But the foreign minister did not give a reason for his early arrival.
Responsible editor: Lin Yan#